Fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock for fitting over athletic protective equipment

ABSTRACT

An athletic sock in the form of a standard cotton sports sock includes a slit defining opposed edges that can be fastened and unfastened for stretching the athletic sock over athletic protective equipment disposed on the individual&#39;s lower leg, and for removal therefrom. Each edge has a fastening strip member that is disengaged from the other strip member to facilitate the stretching of the sock over the athletic protective equipment, and the strip members can brought into mating engagement for securing the sock onto the lower leg and comfortably upon the athletic protective equipment. In addition, the sock can be used as a medical compression sock whereby securement of the strip members is adjustable for obtaining the desired tightness, looseness and comfort of the sock on the individual&#39;s lower leg.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to athletic footwear, and more particularly pertains to an athletic sock that includes a fastenable and unfastenable slit that facilitates the stretching and fitting of the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment disposed on the individual's lower leg and foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shin guards and shin pads are the primary athletic protective equipment in those sports where the primary contention over the physical object that defines the sport is about the players' legs, knees and feet. Such sports include soccer, field hockey, ice hockey and floor hockey. The shin guards and pads predominantly protect the players' shins from being struck during play as such contact can result in cuts, bruises and broken bones. Shin guards and pads include a foot strap that conforms to the individual's foot and through which the foot is inserted, and one or more flexible straps that encompass the individual's lower leg for securing the shin guard thereto.

Shin guards and pads are generally disposed against the players' lower leg, and are covered by a form fitting and tight fitting sock that extends up to the knee region. The sock is tight fitting in order to assist in maintaining the position of the shin guard or pad on the player's lower leg and over the shin, as any shifting of the guard or pad may expose the player's shin to injury. However, the tight fitting nature of the sock greatly impedes the easy pulling of the sock over the shin guard or pad and considerable effort must be exerted in pulling and stretching the sock over the shin guard and up to the knee area. This is an especial difficulty for youthful athletes that require assistance from their parents in pulling their athletic socks over their shin guards. The difficulty is amplified by the generally awkward angle the parent or adult must take in pulling and stretching the athletic sock over the shin guard. Parental aggravation and frustration is increased if the parent is hurried and must quickly pull the tight fitting sock over the shin guard—often with less than full cooperation from the child.

Thus, the prior art discloses various types of athletic footwear and equipment for placement and protection on the individual's lower leg and foot.

For example, the Castiglia patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,315) discloses a shin guard that includes a tubular member fitting about the lower leg adjacent the shin of the wearer, and a tapered rigid member that conforms to and protects the fibula of the wearer.

The Jones patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,126) discloses an athletic sock that includes a full-length tubular knit sock fitting on the lower leg and foot of the wearer, and a partial sock fitting over the front of the full-length sock and between which a shin pad is nested.

The Woodson et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,791) discloses a knitted sock that includes a sock portion fitting onto the wearer's lower leg and foot with the sock portion having an upper cuff layer attached thereto. An outer storage compartment sock layer is circumferentially attached adjacent the lower end of the sock portion and when the cuff layer is folded down about the outer storage compartment sock layer, an interior storage compartment for the storage of items is formed.

The Hicks patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,817) discloses a tubular sports sock having an elastic top disposed intermediate of a cuff and the foot portion of the sock. With a shin guard placed against the sock and below the elastic top, the cuff is folded downward over the shin guard past the elastic top and adjacent the foot portion to circumferentially enclose and hold the shin guard therebetween.

The Lindaman patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,945) discloses a sock for securing the position of shin guards and includes a pair of upper and a pair of lower fasteners for securing the shin guard between the fasteners and to the sock.

The Bear patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,844) discloses an external shin guard strap for holding the shin guard in place and includes at least one pair of straps that are placed contiguous to the athletic sock over and above the shin guard that is enclosed between the wearer's leg and the inner surface of the sock for maintaining the position of the shin guard.

Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for an athletic sock that facilitates the easy and quick disposition of the sock over the shin guards or pads, and easy and quick removal therefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends an athletic sports sock that facilitates and expedites the process of slipping the athletic sock onto the individual's foot and then stretching the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment disposed about the ankle and shin region. The athletic sports sock of the present invention is designed to minimize and avoid the struggle of pulling on an athletic sock over shin guards, especially in regard to the struggle every parent has hitherto encountered with pulling a standard tight-fitting athletic sock over the child's shin guard.

Thus, the improved athletic sock of the present invention includes a cuff, a major leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion, and is further defined by an internal surface and an external surface. The sock includes a longitudinal slit that extends from the cuff down to the ankle/shin portion of the sock, and the slit defines an opening that expedites and eases the process of pulling and stretching the sock onto and over the shin guard or shin pad. The slit defines two opposed longitudinal edges with each edge having a strip member that can be fastened to and unfastened from the other strip member for opening the slit to expedite the insertion or removal of the individual's foot into the sock, and for closing the slit after the sock has been stretched up over the shin guard. The sock of the present invention can also be used as a medical compression sock for the treatment and alleviation of certain medical conditions, especially those that involve lower leg and foot circulatory ailments as well as providing comfort and protection for the lower leg and foot after surgery.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that facilitates the stretching and fitting of the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment such as the shin guard or the shin pad.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that includes features that makes it easier for both parents and children to fit the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment such as the shin guard or the shin pad.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that saves time and eliminates the aggravation for both parents and children alike when pulling and stretching the athletic sock over the athletic protective equipment during the process of putting on the athletic sock.

It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that can be used with athletic protective equipment used in such sports as soccer, field hockey, ice hockey and floor hockey.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an athletic sock that is capable of adjustable securement upon the athletic protective equipment in order to achieve a maximally comfortable fit on the wearer's lower leg.

Still yet another objective of the present invention to provide an athletic sock that includes features that allow the sock to be used as a medical compression sock for both home and hospital use.

These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock of the present invention illustrating the disposition of the athletic sock on the lower leg and foot of the individual for encompassing and holding in place a shin guard disposed between the athletic sock and the individual's shin;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock of the present invention illustrating the athletic sock in the unfastened position to facilitate the stretching of the athletic sock over the shin guard;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock of present invention taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the fastening of the opposed edges of the slit of the sock thereby securing the athletic sock to the wearer's lower leg after the sock has been stretched and pulled over the shin guard;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock first shown in FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment wherein the sock is used as a medical compression sock; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fastenable and unfastenable athletic sock of FIG. 4 illustrating the unfastened disposition of the sock when the sock is used as a medical compression sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 is an athletic sock 10 that can be easily and quickly fastened and unfastened for expediting the process of stretching and fitting the athletic sock 10 onto and over a piece of athletic equipment that primarily will be a shin guard or shin pad 12. The athletic sock 10 fits onto the individual's lower leg 14 and fully covers the foot, the ankle, the shin, the shin guard 12 protecting the shin, and is pulled up to the knee area 16. The shin guard 12 conforms to the lower leg 14 of the individual for protecting the shin from injury. The shin guard 12 generally includes a flexible foot strap 18 through which the foot is inserted and which helps to maintain the position of the shin guard 12 on the lower leg 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the athletic sock 10 of the present invention is a standard stretchable cotton sports sock that includes a foot portion 20 for receiving the individual's foot, an ankle/shin portion 22, and a leg portion 24. An upper end or cuff 26 is pulled up to the knee area 16. The athletic sock 10 also includes a continuous inner sock surface 28 that is disposed contiguous to the individual's foot, ankle, shin and lower leg 14, and a continuous external sock surface 30.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the sock 10 includes a longitudinal slit or opening 32 that extends downward from the upper end 26 to the ankle portion 22. The slit 32 provides for the opening of the sock 10 to ease and expedite the stretching and fitting of the sock 10 over the shin guard 12 and on the lower leg 14 of the individual. While it is possible for the slit 32 to be horizontally disposed on the sock 10, in the preferred embodiment the slit 32 vertically extends on the sock 10. The slit 32 defines two opposed longitudinal edges 34 that can be brought into contiguous overlapping disposition for closing the slit 32 and securing the sock 10 over the shin guard 12; and the edges 34 can be pulled and moved away from each other during the process of slipping the sock 10 onto the individual's lower leg 14 and for removal of the sock 10 therefrom.

A closure means is positioned at the edges 34 defined by the slit 32, and for attaching and detaching the edges 34 to open and close the slit 32. More specifically the closure means includes two strip members 36 that can be fastened together and unfastened from each other. Each strip member 36 includes a hook and loop fastening element known by the common trade name Velcro™. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, one strip member 36 is mounted to the external surface 30 of the sock 10 adjacent one edge 34, and the other strip member 36 is mounted to the interior surface 28 of the sock 10 adjacent the other edge 34. The edges 34 overlap for closing the slit 32 and for facilitating the attachment or detachment of the strip members 36 to or from each other.

In order to obtain a comfortable fitting of the sock 10 upon the shin guard 12 and on the lower leg 14, the strip members 36 are adjustably securable to each other. Thus the strip member 36 on the external surface 30 of the sock 10 is generally wider than the strip member 36 on the interior surface 30 of the sock 10. This allows for the adjustable positioning and then securement of the interior strip member 36 to the exterior strip member 36 for achieving a comfortable fit on the individual's lower leg 14—so as to comfortably fit either a child or adult—and upon the particular type of shin guard 12 being worn.

FIG. 5 illustrates the athletic sock 10 of the present invention used as a medical compression sock for treating physical ailments such as circulatory ailments. When used as a compression sock, the sock 10 can be used for protecting the foot and lower leg 14 after an injury or surgery. The adjustable securement of the sock 10 allows it to comfortably accommodate any splints or bandages that may be placed on the lower leg 14 and foot, and also to accommodate any swelling occurring in the lower leg 14 or foot.

In use the individual would first place the shin guard 12 in position on the lower leg 14 for protecting the shin. The strip members 36 would be separated for opening the slit 32 thereby enabling the easy slipping of the sock 10 onto the foot. The sock 10 would then be stretched over the shin guard 12 and pulled up to a position adjacent the knee region 16. The strip members 36 would then be brought into engagement for closing the slit 32 thus securing the sock 10 in position on the lower leg 14 and upon and over the shin guard 12. The edge 34 having the strip member 36 mounted on the interior surface 28 of the sock 10 overlaps the edge 34 having the exterior mounted strip member 36.

There has been set forth in the drawings and specification a preferred embodiment of the invention, and numerous modifications, alterations and variations may be possible and practicable to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. 

1. An athletic sock for fitting over the shin guard worn on the lower leg of the individual, comprising: an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion; an external surface and an opposite interior surface contiguous to the lower leg of the individual; a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges; a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to each edge and capable of selective fastening to and unfastening from the strip member mounted to the opposite edge; and the strip members are unfastened from each other so that the sock can be slipped onto the lower leg and stretched over the shin guard and then the strip members are fastened to each other for securing the sock in position.
 2. The athletic sock of claim 1 wherein one strip member is mounted to the interior surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the exterior surface adjacent the other edge.
 3. The athletic sock of claim 2 wherein the strip member mounted adjacent the edge and on the exterior surface of the sock has a width greater than that of the strip member mounted adjacent the opposite edge and on the interior surface of the sock.
 4. The athletic sock of claim 3 wherein the strip member mounted to the interior surface of the sock is adjustably securable to the strip member mounted to the exterior surface of the sock in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock over the shin guard and on the lower leg.
 5. An athletic sock for fitting over the shin guard worn on the lower leg of an individual, comprising: an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion and a foot portion; an external sock surface and an interior sock surface that is contiguous to the lower leg of the individual; a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges; a closure means mounted to the edges for attaching the edges and closing the slit thereby securing the sock on the lower leg and for detaching the edges so that the slit can be opened; and the edges are detachable from each other so that the slit can be opened for slipping the sock onto the lower leg and then over the shin guard and then the edges are attachable to each other by the closure means thereby securing the sock in position over the shin guard and on the lower leg.
 6. The athletic sock of claim 5 wherein the closure means includes a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to one edge and the other strip member mounted to the opposite edge and the strip members capable of attachment to each other and detachment from each other for closing and opening the slit to facilitate the placement of the sock over the shin guard and on the lower leg and the removal of the sock therefrom.
 7. The athletic sock of claim 6 wherein one strip member is mounted to the exterior sock surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the interior sock surface adjacent the other edge.
 8. The athletic sock of claim 7 wherein the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface has a width that is greater than the width of the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface.
 9. The athletic sock of claim 8 wherein the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface is adjustably attachable to the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock over the shin guard and upon the lower leg.
 10. A medical compression sock for fitting onto the foot and lower leg of the individual, comprising: an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion, and a foot portion; an external sock surface and an opposite interior sock surface contiguous to the foot and lower leg; a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges; a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted to each edge and capable of selective fastening to and unfastening from each other for securing the sock to the foot and lower leg and for removal therefrom; and the strip members being unfastened from each other so that the sock can be slipped onto the foot and fitted onto the lower leg and then the strip members are fastened to each other for closing the slit and securing the sock in position.
 11. The medical compression sock of claim 10 wherein one strip member is mounted to the interior sock surface adjacent one edge and the other strip member is mounted to the exterior sock surface adjacent the other edge.
 12. The medical compression sock of claim 11 wherein the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface has a width that is greater than the width of the strip member that is mounted to the interior sock surface.
 13. The medical compression sock of claim 12 wherein the strip member mounted to the interior sock surface is adjustably fastenable to the strip member mounted to the exterior sock surface in order to obtain a comfortable securement of the sock on the foot and lower leg.
 14. A stretchable sock for fitting onto the foot and lower leg of the individual, comprising: an upper end, a leg portion, an ankle/shin portion and a foot portion; an external sock surface and an interior sock surface that is contiguous to the foot and lower leg; a slit extending from the upper end to the ankle/shin portion and defining a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges; a pair of strip members with one strip member mounted at each edge and capable of selective attachment to and detachment from each other for attaching the edges and closing the slit and for detaching the edges for opening the slit; and the strip members being detachable from each other so that the slit can be opened and the sock slipped onto the foot and fitted on the lower leg and then the strip members are attachable to each other for closing the slit thus securing the sock to the foot and lower leg. 